Service chart signaling equipment



March 12, 1957 c. E. ZELLER 2,735,394

SERVICE CHART SIGNALING EQUIPMENT Filed Nov. 26, 1954 2 Shets-Sheet 1 :Eii""' I d K L INVENTOR CZE.ZelLer W 75144 A TTORNE Y March 12, 1957 c. E. ZELLER 2,785,394

SERVICE CHART SIGNALING EQUIPMENT Filed NOV. 26, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q IN-VENTOR 6515'. Z e 1 [er ATTORNEY United States Patent O SERVICE CHART SIGNALING EQUIPMENT Charles E. Zeller, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada Application November 26, 1954, Serial No. 471,452

4 Claims. (Cl. 340-332) The present invention relates to signaling equipment and more particularly to signaling equipment for use in stores for calling a iloorwalker to a particular counter for the purpose of assisting a clerk in making change or in apprehending a thief.

Heretofore, it has been customary in stores to provide sound signals alone with a different sound signal for different executives in the store. Such systems have been objectionable, creating unnecessary confusion and adding to the disturbing noises resulting from modern life.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the defects of the prior signaling systems and to provide a signal which will be the least objectionable to patrons of the store and make possible rapid business transactions thereby increasing profits to the stores and convenience to the customers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a signaling system which may be used by the clerks without observation by the customers and particularly without observation by thieves.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of a store with a centrally located signal indicating board showing two counters in the store with cash registers thereon with the counters equipped with switches for operating the board;

Fig. 2, an enlarged section taken generally on broken line 2-2 of the signal indicating board shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, another form of signal indicating board construction;

Fig. 4, an elevation of a still further form of signal indicating board construction; and

Fig. 5, a wiring diagram showing the connections from the stations to the centrally located signal indicating board or chart.

Briefly, the store service indicating equipment of the present invention includes a centrally located indicating board or chart provided with two series of differently colored windows illuminated by individual lamps with one window of one series and an adjacent window of another series forming a pair which is separately identitied with a particular counter or station in the store. The indicating chart also has a pair of sound signals in which one sound signal is energized when a window of oneseries is lighted and the other sound signal is energized when a window of the other series is lighted. Switches are provided at the corresponding counters or stations to control the lamps illuminating the windows corresponding to that counter or station and to control the sounding signals corresponding with the lighted window. This construction makes it possible for a clerk at a counter to use one signal to call the floorwalker for a nonurgent matter such as making change and also makes it possible for the clerk to call the fioorwalker or house detective for an urgent matter such as apprehending a thief or shoplifter.

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Referring more particularly to the drawings, a central ly located service indicating chart 10 is suspended from the ceiling by means of a hollow bracket 11 from which tubes 12 and 13 extend supporting annular partitions l4, l5 and transverse braces 16, 17. Radial partition 18 extends between annular partitions l4 and 15 to the outer periphery of the chart thereby providing two circumferential series of compartments. In the inner ring of compartments, lamps 19 are mounted, and with in the outer ring of compartments, lamps 2t) are mounted. A back wall 21 is mounted on the supporting transverse braces 16 and 17 and may carry advertising matter with the peripheral margin thereof being provided with identifying letters or numbers similar to the letters or numbers 22 shown on the front cover in Fig. 1. A transparent or at least translucent sheet material 23 is provided around the back of the lamp receiving compartments and the outer portion 24 of such transparent or translucent sheet is of a red color and the inner portion 25 is of a green color thereby providing separate signals.

A cover 26 is hingedly connected to the supporting members 12 and 13 by a piano type hinge 27, the margin of the cover 26 being provided with a ring of transparent or translucent material including a green inner portion 28 and a red outer portion 29. The cover is secured by means of a conventional latch 30, there being identifying characters 22 on the cover 26 corresponding to the identifying characters on the back 21, each character relating to the two radial compartments located adjacent to and radially outward of the character, the characters being shown as capital letters preferably of a plastic white, with a black background.

The cover 26 and back 21 may be provided with openings for the sound produced by the sound signals SR and SG mounted in the housing 10 or such sound signals may be mounted on the outside of the indicator chart, if desired.

A first counter identified A includes the usual counter surface 31A on which a cash register 32A is mounted and supported and under the counter surface 31A is a switch box 33A having a switch 34GA for'operating the green light GA corresponding to station A and the sounding signal SG corresponding to the green series of windows. A switch SSGR operates the red light RA corresponding to station A and the sounding signal SR corresponding to the red series of windows. The counter B is similarly arranged with a counter surface 318 and a cash register 32B, a switch housing box 3313, a switch 34GB to operate a green light GB with its corresponding sounding signal SG and a switch 35KB to operate a red light RB for station B and the corresponding sounding signal SR.

Another form of indicator chart shown in Fig. 3 includes a three sided indicator housing having station identifying characters 36 on each face thereof and having a series of green windows 37 and a series of red windows 38 for each face which are illuminated in accordance with the operation of the switches at each station. It will be noted that the rear face of the structure of Fig. 3 also includes the identifying characters and the colored window. Suitable partitions are provided within the housing with the necessary number of lamps to illuminate the windows in accordance with the signal.

Another form of triangular prism signal housing shown in Fig. 4 includes on each face thereof an indicating chart 39 similar to that shown in Fig. 3, designed for low ceilinged stores where the housing can be mounted without an excessive projection below the ceiling and such signal chart may be of triangular prism arrange 3 ment so that it can be viewed from any direction, similarly to the other signal charts previously described.

Upon detailed reference to the wiring diagram of Fig. 5, which may be used with any of the indicating charts, power is supplied through lines L1 and L2 to correspondingly identified binding posts LEA, L2A and LlB, L23 respectively on terminal boards 40A, 403, etc., respectively corresponding to the entire number of stations. From binding posts L1A and LZA on terminal board 40A current is fed to the primary windings 35 V. A. U i/'24 volt transformer 41 by means of leads 42 and 43 and the secondary windings of the transformer are connected by means of leads 44 and 45 to binding posts WlA and WZA, respectively, on the terminal board 49A and are connected by leads W1 and W2 to corresponding binding posts WlB, WZB, etc., respectively, on the other terminal boards regardless of the number of such boards, only two of which terminal boards being shown in the drawing, although the number can be increased by suitable connection to the dot dash wiring shown as extensions thereof. The terminal boards 40A, 40B, etc. are mounted adjacent the corersponding pairs of lamps within or adjacent to the signal chart housing 10.

Extending from the binding post LZA through 43 and lead 48 one terminal of the green lamp GA is permanently connected to one terminal of the green sounding signal SG, to one terminal of the red sounding signal SR, and to one terminal of the red lamp RA. The other main line L1 from binding post LIA through lead 42 is connected by lead 49 to a lead 50 which lead 50 is connected to each armature of relay switches TRA, TSRA, TSGA, and TGA, which armatures are shown in their full line open position. Closing such relay switches will illuminate the corresponding lamps and operate the corresponding sounding signals.

For energizing the relays to cause the armatures to close the circuits a lead 51 from WlA extends to a double throw normally open switch 34-GA and 35RA which are known in the trade as G. E. (lab. No. RFS1. The switch 34GA can be manually operated to close against contact GZA, or GlA', the contact GIA' and GZA being connected to binding posts GlA and G2A, respectively, on the terminal panel 40A and from binding post GZA a lead 52 extends to the circuit closing coils of relays TGA and TSGA so that upon closing of contact G2A with the switch 346A the relays TGA and TSGA close circuits to lamp GA and the sound signal SG, respectively, the relays being maintained in closed position without requiring the continuous passage of current through the circuit closing coil of such relays as by the use of toggle type spring arrangement 52' or the equiva lent. A lead 53 extends from terminal WZA to the other terminal of the circuit closing coils of relays TGA, TSGA and the corresponding terminal of relays TSRA and TRA.

Assuming that the clerk at counter A has operated switch 346A to close with contact GZA operating sounding signal SG and illuminating lamp GA and the floorwalker has observed the signal and has helped the clerk at counter A, the clerk then deenergizes the green lamp GA and the sounding signal SG by operating switch 34GA to close with contact GlA thereby closing a circuit through lead 54 to the circuit opening coils of the relays TGA and TSGA moving the armature to the full line position shown, the circuit being completed from the circuit opening coils through lead 53 to the terminal W2A, the switch 34GA, being connected to the terminal W1 by lead 51 as described above.

in the event that the clerk at station A urgently requires a floorwalker as in the case of a thief, the clerk closes switch 3511A with contact REA and through lead 55 from the RZA binding post of the terminal board 40A the circuit closing coils of the relays TSRA and TRA are energized moving the corresponding armatures to complete a circuit from the other terminal of the lamp RA and the sounding signal SR, through the armatures to leads 4 50, 49 and 42 a binding post LIA connected to line L1 one terminal of such lamp RA and sound signal SR being permanently connected to line L2 through lead 48, lead 43 and binding post L2A.

The floor-walker hearing the sounding signal and seeing the illumination of the red colored window rushes to the aid of the clerk knowing that it is an emergency and apprehends the thief or shoplifter. The clerk, of course, may operate these switches located under the counter without observation by the customer. When the doorwalker comes on the scene and takes care of the situation the clerk then operates switch 35RA closing contact RlA which through a lead 56 is connected to the circuit opening coils of the relays TRA and TSRA thereby moving the corresponding armatures to the full line position opening the circuits to the lamp RA and sound signal SR.

Assuming that the clerk at counter B requires a floorwalkcr and closes switch 34GB, connected by lead 511? to binding post WlB with contact G213 connected to binding post G213 on terminal board 4013 and through lead 52B therefrom energizes the circuit closing coils of relays TGB and TSGB, the other terminal of such circuit closing coils as well as circuit closing coils of relays TRB and TSRB being connected to binding post WZB of terminal board 4M3 by lead 5313. A high voltage current is then supplied to the armatu-res of the relay switches through lead 568 such lead also being connected to the armatures of relay switches TSRB and TRB as well as relay switches TGB and TSGB. The circuit is completed to binding post LZB of terminal block MB by means of lead 433 which is connected to the lamp GB and also to the lamp RE. The sounding signal SG corresponding to the green light is energized from binding post LllB through lead 50B to the armature of relay switch TSGB and through lead 5713 to binding post 863 of terminal board 463 to binding post SGA of terminal board lllA and through lead 57A to the sounding signal SG and through lead 48 to binding post LZA of terminal board 40A which is connected to line L2 thereby closing the circuit to SG at the same time that signal lamp GB is illuminated. When the floorwalker arrives at counter B the clerk moves switch 34GB to contact GlB' thereby closing a circuit from binding post GllB to lead 5413 to the circuit opening coils of relay switches TGB and TSGB, such circuit being closed through lead 538 to binding post WZB of terminal board 40B. 7

Similarly, in an emergency the clerk will close switch 35KB with contact R28 connected to binding post RZB and through a lead B to the circuit closing coils of relay switches TSRB and TRB thereby moving the armatures of such relay switches to close circuits from L1 and LIB through lead 5613 through the armature TRB through lamp RB and lead 433 to the "binding post LZB thereby lighting the lamp RB. Similarly, from binding post LIB through lead 55B and the armature of relay switch TSRB and lead 533 to binding post SRB which is connected to binding post SRA on terminal board 40A and through lead 53A to the red sounding signal SR, thence through lead 43 to lead 43 to binding post LZA of terminal board 449A completing the circuit to line L2, thereby sounding the red sounding signal.

Upon arrival of the floorwalker at counter B the clerk then operates switch SSRB to close with contact RIB connected to binding post RIB and through lead 56B enerizes the circuit opening coils of relays TRB and TSRB, which coils are permanently connected by lead 53B to binding post W28 thereby moving the corresponding armatures to open position, extinguishing the lamp RB and interrupting the sounding signal SR.

Although only two stations or counters have been shown and described, it will be apparent that any number of such stations may be provided and a single set of sounding signals may be used with any number of pairs of green and red signal lights. Preferably the green sounding signal will be of the type that will make a single.

sound and stop, thereby avoiding unecessary noise in a store, and the red sounding signal will be of a type which will continue to sound until it is turned off so that in urgent situations the fioorwalker will be continuously aware of the emergency.

It will be noted that separate relays are shown for operating the lamps and corresponding sounding signals, but it is contemplated that one relay may be used for both purposes, thereby reducing the number of relay switches required. This may be accomplished by using relay switches with two contacts for making and breaking two circuits or by connecting the lead 58B, for example, with the lead 59B where the two leads appear to cross and similarly for the corresponding lamps and sounding signal leads at the other stations.

Although the wiring diagram is shown in a single sheet it will be evident that the switch boxes 33A, 333, etc. are mounted a substantial distance from the indicating chart and the leads extending from the chart to such station switches carry a low voltage thereby avoiding danger of fire and the other parts of the system may be mounted in the signal chart housing regardless of which type of housing is used, thereby making it possible for relatively unskilled personnel to connect the circuits with. a minimum of delay and expense. The tube supports 12 and 13 are adapted to receive the wires from the supply as well as the control wires from the stations and the wires may be controled in any suitable manner.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and, therefore, the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A service chart signaling equipment for stores comprising a plurality of counters or stations each designated by a distinct symbol, a pair of switches at each station, a centrally located chart casing having two different colored series of windows, a pair of which corresponds to a station with a light behind each window and a common station designation symbol for each pair, a pair of distinctive sounding signals in said casing, one sounding signal being energized when any one color window is lighted to represent one type of attention desired from a floorwalker by a clerk stationed at a counter, and a second sounding signal being energized when any other color window is lighted to represent a second type of continuous demand attention from the fioorwalker is desired by a clerk stationed at a counter, one switch at each station controlling the light for its color window and energizing a first sounding signal and the other switch at said station controlling the light of its other color window and energizing a second sounding signal of a different characteristic from the first sounding signal.

2. The signaling equipment as set forth in claim 1, wherein the chart casing is circular in form with the lights and windows of contrasting color arranged in concentric annular rings and with the station symbol designation in juxtaposition with the corresponding pairs of lights.

3. The signaling equipment as set forth in claim 1, wherein the chart casing is triangular in horizontal crosssection, with the lights and colored windows arranged in vertical rows, and the station symbol designation in juxtaposition with the corresponding pairs of lights.

4. The signaling equipment as set forth in claim 1, wherein the chart casing is in the form of a triangular prism with the lights and colored windows arranged in horizontal rows, and the station symbol designation in juxtaposition with the corresponding pairs of lights.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 546,499 Warren W Sept. 17, 1895 655,264 Nichol Aug. 7, 1900 1,575,571 Gray Mar. 2, 1926 1,976,600 Carroll Oct. 9, 1934 2,463,050 Pasternack Mar. 1, 1949 2,718,632 lust Sept. 20, 1955 

